zoopertrooper 's review for:

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

3.0

lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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I was excited to read this one. I think it really does well as a fairy tale down to the woodcut art. The writing is beautiful and fits the tone. It's very whimsical and charming. As all fairy tales the focus feels almost like a cautionary tale around the bond of two sisters, seemed to be about land and borders too (later made more clear by the authors note). So, yes it is about sisterhood but it's also sisters and characters within their archetype. It felt like the author very much is writing within the conventions or a fairy tale, and I think she does so well. I did like the puns, the linguistic choices, the intertwining of prose and music. I can see the audiobook adding much more to the atmosphere. 

I only rate it a three because maybe this isn't my cup of tea. It wasn't bad, I did enjoy her writing very much, I like the recurring motif of "when is something not this particular thing" and the riddle being a motif for understanding temporality, and perhaps that is how what borders do to a nation (they make it temporal?). Maybe I liked most this tension between the certain Real world and the uncertain yet absolute Arcadia. and I always appreciate the bad guy and moral underpinning being hey capitalism and imperialism from this white guy is awful!! Keke. So it was a lovely read, but it's also not my cup of tea. 

I prefer longer stories, fleshed out relational conflict, the romance also which wasnt even given too much attention and might have more just been a symbol of difference in desire that the sisters have, but either way the romance which didn't take too much space still was my least favourite aspect. 
I think the metaphor for land and borders, which I was also anticipating, was weak. Maybe I dont like fairytales!!